Casio EX-S7 Review

Casio EXILIM Zoom EX-S7 Overview

Posted: 02/21/2010

The Casio EXILIM Zoom EX-S7 is based around the combination of a twelve megapixel 1/2.3-inch type CCD image sensor, an EXILIM Engine 5.0 image processor, and a 3x optical zoom lens with a rather tight 35.5mm wide angle. Maximum aperture varies from F3.1 to F5.6 across the zoom range, and at wide angle the minimum aperture is f7.8 with a built-in neutral density filter. The EXILIM Engine 5.0 processor is said to offer a 30% speed increase over the previous EXILIM Engine 4.0 generation, as well as improved battery life. On the rear of the Casio EX-S7's 0.78-inch thick body lies a 2.7-inch color TFT LCD display with 230,400 dots of resolution, approximately equivalent to a 320 x 240 pixel array with three dots per pixel. This is the only method of framing or reviewing movies, as the EX-S7 lacks any form of true optical viewfinder.

The EX-S7 can capture still images to a maximum of 4,000 x 3,000 pixels. The S7 also records movie clips at up to high-definition 720p (16:9 aspect ratio, 1,280 x 720 pixel resolution). Movies are recorded with Motion JPEG compression in AVI format, and include monaural audio. Sensitity ranges from ISO 64 to ISO 1,600 equivalents. Exposures are determined using multi-pattern, center-weighted or spot metering. Shutter speeds range from 1/2,000 to 4 seconds. A built-in five mode flash offers a range of up to 9.5 feet at wide angle, or 5.2 feet at telephoto.

Ease-of-use features of the Casio EXILIM Zoom EX-S7 include face detection autofocusing, and a YouTube movie mode which automatically sets the camera appropriately to record clips for the popular website, then automatically uploads them when connected to a PC. There's also an Easy Mode function which leaves the camera in control of all details except for image size, whether the flash should be enabled, and the self timer.

Images and movies are stored on SD or SDHC cards (but not the newest SDXC types), as well as in 35.2MB of built-in memory. Power comes from an NP-80 lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack. Connectivity options include a USB port (type unspecified) and standard-definition NTSC / PAL video output.

The Casio EX-S7 ships from Spring 2010, in a selection of either black or purple body colors. Pricing is set at around $140.